Cliff’s IM Hamburg
I took off from Belfast City, over the airport road, where I had spent the last eight weekends relentlessly riding my TT up and down!
The training was done. It was time to race. I had done my 5 previous 70.3 races with Challenge. This would be my first full distance and first race with ironman.
HAMBURG IM
I took off from Belfast City, over the airport road, where I had spent the last eight weekends relentlessly riding my TT up and down!
The training was done , it was time to race. I had done my 5 previous 70.3 races with Challenge. This would be my first full distance and first race with ironman.
Velo Yelo transported the 14-year-old Cervelo bike. What a game-changer. No fuss, no mess, no panic attacks trying to put your bike back together again! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Hamburg is a great city with easy airport-to-city links. Hotel check-in was completed on Thursday. I got a good night’s sleep and went off to register on Friday. It was a really simple, straightforward process. The wristband was proudly attached, and I got an IM bag. I just had to earn it now.
Friday felt a bit like a day in limbo, but my nerves were under control. I had a race plan (written down) and the training had gone really well.
Saturday dawned I hit the lake for the practice swim. I really enjoyed this. Got rid of the nerves and I know what I’m getting into tomorrow. Good chance to get a chat with some of the other competitors too. Transition set up, jeez this is a long transition, nearly 1km long!
Set the alarm for 420am. Who am I kidding, I’m not gonna sleep! Sunday 430am porridge, yoghurt, fruit, 2 cereal bars. No idea how I got this down and it stayed down!
Into the 1hr 20 pen. Half of Carrickfergus is in here, small world! Plenty of Greenisland/ Carrick banter! OK, it’s the start time! Hand clapping done, I hit the water at 720am.
2600 people start in 2s, rolling start. It’s a great controlled start, and I’m off swimming in my own space. Big arms swinging wide as a warning to others: Back off! Lol a few kicks and punches round the buoys keep me focused and I only tire in the last 500mtrs under the 4th of 5 bridges! Swim time 1hr 30. On target. Sean from bike shop gets a picture of me almost smiling out of the swim. A collectors i’s item.
Long transition as I did a full change into Down Triathlon Club kit and sat down for a 3 course meal! (more cereal bars and a smoothie) The roads were not smooth at all! Not what I expected. Very windy too. Dropped my carb bottle at 30km. Stopped to retrieve losing that would have been a disaster! (369gm in one bottle. Precision pf300 gel. A game changer for any long distance, also a 15g precision “Turkish delight” as a treat at the top of each hour on the bike: really helped break the bike leg down)). Loo stop at 100km. Didn’t unclip in time, rookie mistake, off I came! Chain dropped, but no other damage. Importantly, no spectators to see my shame. Headwind to finish got stronger on 2nd lap, and I limped home in just over 6 hrs. Bit disappointed with that, 20 mins behind target!
At least I still had fuel in the tank for the run. The atmosphere, 4 laps through the city centre, was unreal. Music pumping, people calling your name, nearly overwhelming! 4 laps gave me a chance to chat and thumbs up to the Invictus lads and the Carrick contingent. I followed the plan as the heart rate rose at the start of the run. 9 minutes run, 1 walk and use every aid station for fluid. I was worried about my heart rate, but the coach just laughed and said don’t worry, you’ll be going so slow at the end. Your heart rate will be of no concern. His harsh assessment of my running ability was spot on, though! 4hr 48 min later, my heart rate was 130 as I came down the red carpet. “ Cliff from Ireland: you are an ironman”
Then the emotion really kicked in!
Overall an amazing experience. The box has been ticked. Anyone considering first full distance be prepared. Do the training, trust the process and believe in your ability as you do the training. The number of times I saw in my head myself crossing the line really helped through the long bike rides, sometimes in hail stones!
Get the family on board, because you will become even more of a self absorbed triathlon bore than normal. But think of their glowing faces full of pride as you talk them through 13 hours and 22 seconds of you life, step by step!
As for ironman themselves, it’s well run and very professional, but challenge group just edge them on overall experience.
Cliff.
Pulse Port Beach Triathlon 2023
ABC
In the ancient Irish calendar, autumn began in August. Triathletes across the island are discovering that what they thought were summer races with pleasant sea swims are in fact autumnal in the extreme, with many DTC members involuntarily discovering the joys of duathlons recently. The Pulse Port Beach triathlon, a National Series race, was yet another victim of sea conditions, this time due to a heavy fog lying over the beach and sea. Even the most gung-ho athletes had to concede that the sea swim would have been unsafe, considering it was barely possible to see the buoys.
After a short hopeful delay, Plan B was quickly implemented, with the swim replaced with a 3km run in perfect conditions, at least on land. As these discussions took place, athletes were able to enjoy the atmosphere, with lots of food and drink options, roaming photographers, and the portaloos which generated many emotional comments and some regret at the lost opportunity to empty bladders into the Irish Sea. If autumn is the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, the last portaloo on the left provided the latter in buckets.
11 DTC members had made the trip to Louth for what was for almost all their last chance at a triathlon this year, with some desperate female members named Cheryl securing an entry less than 24 hrs before the start as the horror at a long triathlon-free winter started to hit home . Even some DTC members not participating showed up to provide welcome support.
Despite the change to run-bike-run, feedback on the race was very positive, with many commenting on the great bike course in particular. Comments on the second run were not quite as positive, as runners paid the price for going too hard in the first run, although the out and back course did allow many everyday athletes to witness the incredible pace of the race leaders.
Particular praise is due to Sophie Truesdale with her by now routine age group podium place, leaving with a nice trophy and Cycle Superstore gift card, as well as Shonagh Nelson who finished in a great time despite multiple mechanical issues during the cycle.
In the aftermath of the race, the sea quickly filled with triathletes desperate to at least dip their toes in the water before beginning the journey home, no doubt to obsess on Strava whilst re-fuelling appropriately in celebration at securing hard-earned PBs in Duathlon.
Peninsula Sea Sprint 2023
The weather could not have been better on Sunday 27th August, as 37 elite DTC athletes arrived en masse for the annual Sprint distance triathlon organised by the Peninsula Tri Club - although spectators would have been forgiven for mistaking this race as a DTC organised one, given the utter dominance of black and yellow.
More than 250 triathletes from across Ireland lined up to swim in Dee harbour, following a relatively simple out and back course awaiting. With local celebrity journalist Mark Simpson acting as compere, including various unprovoked episodes of dad-dancing, the atmosphere was great and the swim passed without incident.
The bike course involved two loops, with a sprint almost as far as Groomsport, before turning back towards Donaghadee. An unwelcome headwind greeted cyclists as they headed out on a gentle incline, before picking up speed after the turn back towards Donaghadee.
Whether cyclists were on their first or second loop determined the direction of travel at a junction as athletes neared transition, with some confusion and a lack of any signage indicating this enabling Cathy Flinn to enjoy the screams of "first lady home!!", before realising her error. Next year Cathy!
Screams of a different kind were heard as Aoife and Shona collided due to further confusion at that junction, although thankfully no serious injuries were suffered, and Aoife's drinking arm is in full working order again.
The run section took athletes around the lighthouse and commons area, and the "light touch" approach to marshalling led to a variety of routes actually being run, with almost no one running exactly 5k and many confused looks as people other than Conaill approached the finish line in blistering times. Kevin Kelly was almost in contention for the Ireland team for Paris after completing the run in less than 8 minutes! Due to a mysterious combined Garmin/Strava/Apple/Suunto/Polar temporary and localised 'outage', a veil has now been drawn over this run and it will never be mentioned again, except in The Barn every week.
Overall, DTC again had a very successful outing, with Conaill MacNabb making the podium in 3rd place, only one second off 2nd, and everyone (except Aoife) enjoying the event as well as the excellent and varied post-race refreshments in Donaghadee sailing club.
As triathlon season nears the end, the frantic last minute search for one last race continues, and an even greater DTC turnout is expected in Castlewellan for the Mourne Sprint with 43 members currently signed up, a figure than most clubs in Ireland can only dream of!
By John Taylor
The weather could not have been better on Sunday 27th August, as 37 elite DTC athletes arrived en masse for the annual Sprint distance triathlon organised by the Peninsula Tri Club - although spectators would have been forgiven for mistaking this race as a DTC organised one, given the utter dominance of black and yellow.
More than 250 triathletes from across Ireland lined up to swim in Dee harbour, following a relatively simple out and back course awaiting. With local celebrity journalist Mark Simpson acting as compere, including various unprovoked episodes of dad-dancing, the atmosphere was great and the swim passed without incident.
The bike course involved two loops, with a sprint almost as far as Groomsport, before turning back towards Donaghadee. An unwelcome headwind greeted cyclists as they headed out on a gentle incline, before picking up speed after the turn back towards Donaghadee.
Whether cyclists were on their first or second loop determined the direction of travel at a junction as athletes neared transition, with some confusion and a lack of any signage indicating this enabling Cathy Flinn to enjoy the screams of "first lady home!!", before realising her error. Next year Cathy!
Screams of a different kind were heard as Aoife and Shona collided due to further confusion at that junction, although thankfully no serious injuries were suffered, and Aoife's drinking arm is in full working order again.
The run section took athletes around the lighthouse and commons area, and the "light touch" approach to marshalling led to a variety of routes actually being run, with almost no one running exactly 5k and many confused looks as people other than Conaill approached the finish line in blistering times. Kevin Kelly was almost in contention for the Ireland team for Paris after completing the run in less than 8 minutes! Due to a mysterious combined Garmin/Strava/Apple/Suunto/Polar temporary and localised 'outage', a veil has now been drawn over this run and it will never be mentioned again, except in The Barn every week.
Overall, DTC again had a very successful outing, with Conaill MacNabb making the podium in 3rd place, only one second off 2nd, and everyone (except Aoife) enjoying the event as well as the excellent and varied post-race refreshments in Donaghadee sailing club.
As triathlon season nears the end, the frantic last minute search for one last race continues, and an even greater DTC turnout is expected in Castlewellan for the Mourne Sprint with 43 members currently signed up, a figure than most clubs in Ireland can only dream of!
By John Taylor
Youghall, Cork 2023
A large contingent of DTC athletes made the journey to Youghal to attempt one of the annual endurance Ironman triathlons planned for Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August, with most members tackling the 70.3 distance, and four taking on the full Ironman distance. Everyone who made the trip was aware that triathlons carry risks, particularly with a sea swim, but the devastating news that two fellow athletes lost their lives during the swim has hit everyone hard. Whilst we will celebrate the achievements of our members, we continue to express our sympathies to the Wall and Chittenden families, and support to our own members, some of whose race day experiences were traumatic and the opposite of the joyful experience we all expect.
A large contingent of DTC athletes made the journey to Youghal to attempt one of the annual endurance Ironman triathlons planned for Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August, with most members tackling the 70.3 distance, and four taking on the full Ironman distance. Everyone who made the trip was aware that triathlons carry risks, particularly with a sea swim, but the devastating news that two fellow athletes lost their lives during the swim has hit everyone hard. Whilst we will celebrate the achievements of our members, we continue to express our sympathies to the Wall and Chittenden families, and support to our own members, some of whose race day experiences were traumatic and the opposite of the joyful experience we all expect.